Page 35 of Connected

“What, and you’d be okay with that—for him to touch me?” she frowns.

“If it would help, then yeah.”

“No, no I don’t wanna hear this and I don’t need any damn help fromeitherof you, especially not from a… I need to go. I need to talk to QT and if you’ll excuse me, Master Chief, I think we’re done here.”

Watching her disappear into the jungle greenery, Digby sighs. “Dee, she didn’t mean that. What she said about you bein’ dead, she didn’t mean it. She’s tired, angry. She’ll come around; you’ll see. It’s just shock and… hell, she doesn’t know you like we do. She will calm down.”

“You think? See, I’m not so sure she will. Hell, maybe she’s right. I mean, that’s what I am, isn’t it?”

“No, no. C’mon you know that’s not true. Dee, you’re more wolf than you are… well, you’re just more wolf than that. Hell, you have more of my blood than anythin’ else, so don’t be givin’ me bullshit like that. You know as well as I do, we’ve never treated you any different. Hell, why would I let you run this team or be pack leader if I didn’t still see you as a wolf? Trust me, she’ll come around. She needs this; she needs us. You and me—she needs us both. Just give her some time to come around to the idea.”

“Yeah well, time I got plenty of—hell, I got a fuckin’ eternity,” he laughs.

“Well, there you go. So um, you think she’ll do it—kill Alvarez, I mean? You think she’s got it in her to take a life in cold blood like that?”

“What don’t you think she will?” Darius cocks an eyebrow. “Well, she’s a medic, she’s supposed to save lives, right? Not take them.”

“But she’s killed before, I mean she’s been in the military for years. What, you don’t think she’ll do it?”

“Just killin’ in a situation like this, it’s different. I mean hell, it don’t matter. Let her do whatever she wants with him and if she don’t kill him… then I will cos there’s no way he’s leavin’ here alive today. Oh, I do have to let Zak take his balls but other than that, one way or the other, he’s dead shifter meat.”

Chapter 12

“Diggs, tell her man.” Zak grabs him dragging him in front of Kat. “Tell her this can’t happen and to take me instead.”

“Whoa! What the hell’s goin’ on here?” Digby watches the ongoing disagreement between Zak and Kat.

“I need you to tell her that she can’t do this,” Zak continues to urge.

“Hey, just calm the hell down. Sorry, but you’ve lost me, I don’t understand. What do you want me to tell her?” Digby can see Zak jabbing a finger at Kat as he stands between her and QT.

“Tell her to take me with her and not QT. He can’t do this and it’s a better call to take me.”

“Zak, I told you he’ll be fine. I’ll keep him safe; I promise,” Kat reassures him again.

“Keep him safe? Safe from what?” Digby frowns, concerned. “What the hell do you need with QT?”

“I need him to come with me and let the other wolves out. I promise he’ll be fine.” She looks around as everyone now stares at her. “QT’s fine with it, aren’t you?”

“Fine. Sh-sh-sure,” he nods and smiles.

“No… wait, Zak’s right. If you’re thinkin’ of goin’ back in there, then you should take one of us with you. Nothin’ against ya ability QT, but she needs someone who can handle themselves.”

“Digby, no,” Kat stands her ground. “No, that’s exactly what Idon’tneed. I can’t take an alpha in there. Hell, you saw how upset they were earlier, who knows what they’ll do when we let them out. That’s why it needs to be QT because he’s not dominant.”

“That’s why I said take me: I’m not an alpha. Kat, I’ll be a better choice.”

“Oh Zak, you’re more alpha than most alphas, I know. Like I’ve told you before, the only reason you’re not is that you were brought up with Digby. No, it has to be QT. Look, Luna will keep him safe, I promise. He’s an omega and they’re more submissive, I mean no offense QT.”

“Luna?” Digby questions, “You’re sending her? But why?”

“Because she’ll be able to calm them. Digby, trust me on this. They’ve been caged up for we don’t know how long, and if they are all pregnant as we suspect, then they’re going to be feral by now. There isn’t going to be much of their human left in them and they can’t shift, so they’re pretty much wolves right now. We can’t just leave them in there like that. We have to get them out or they’ll starve to death. So, what choice do we have?”

“Yeah, and that’s why I gotta say I’m with Zak. I don’t like it and I think he’s right, I think it should be one of us that goes with you. Dee… talk to her man, make her see this is a crazy idea.”

Darius stares at Kat. “So, you think this is the best way?”

“Mm-hm,” she nods. The awkwardness of earlier still hangs in the air, and she can’t look him in the eye. “Yeah, I do. You just need to trust me.”

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